Of Empathy and Apathy
by CrazyPerson514
Summary: Morgan wakes up in a world where Spencer Reid is a serial killer.
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing.**

**I am bored and this is the result.**

x

The team had just gotten back from a week long case where all of the victims were under twelve years old.

Derek Morgan was tired, a little angry, hungry, and so not in the mood for a lecture on the average life span of a goldfish, or whatever it was Spencer Reid was talking about.

He was regretting his decision to give the kid a ride home.

Most of the time what Reid talked about was slightly interesting, if a little brainy for Derek's taste.

This was not one of those times.

He could feel himself falling asleep, but it was only another minute or two until he got to Reid's apartment, then it was only five or so minutes until he got to his own. It mush have shown on his face because Reid looked pretty worried.

"Hey, are you okay? If you want I can drive you home and then call a cab."

Derek thought that sounded like a good idea. He went to pull over so that they could switch places.

There was a strange quiet moment and then the world exploded in a cacophony of shattering glass, screeching metal, and screams. Then there was darkness, and falling.

X

He woke up in his bed, wondering if it had just been a very bad dream.

X

Prentiss was already in the bullpen when Derek got to work, Reid wasn't. he was probably getting coffee.

"Rough night?" she looked a sympathetic

"Late night. I gave Reid a ride home and the kid is always talking."

"Who's Reid?" Prentiss looked curious now

"Funny."

"Have I met him?"

Something about the way she asked made Derek think she was actually being serious.

"He has been on the team since before you joined. You know, Spencer Reid. Tall, genius, looks like an anorexic twelve year old. Never shuts up. You know Reid."

Prentiss looked like she had no idea what Derek was talking about. Derek was starting to get scared.

JJ came over holding a pile of files.

"Emily, Morgan, we have a case."

Derek turned to JJ for support

"Prentiss is pretending that she doesn't know who Reid is."

JJ looked like she didn't know what Derek was talking about either.

"Right. Wheels up in twenty."

She left.

Derek was defiantly scared now.

He went to Hotch's office.

Rossi was there, they were looking at the case file.

"Something you need Morgan?"

"Where is Reid?"

Hotch just looked confused

"Who's Reid." Hotch wasn't one for joking.

Derek went back to the bullpen, ignoring the concerned glances Prentiss was giving him.

Reid's desk was empty.

There was no indication that anyone was using it.

"Where are Reid's things?"

Prentiss sounded worried, very worried.

"Derek, that was Elle's desk, no one has used it since she left. Are you okay?"

Maybe he was dreaming.

X

"So far we have seventy three unsolved homicides."

Derek had decided that he was stuck in some sort of dream.

"Why weren't we called in sooner?"

He figured he might as well go with it.

"They didn't think the deaths were related."

JJ was presenting the case.

"What made them change their minds?"

Hotch was reading through the case file, the jet seemed very empty without Reid.

"Someone walked into the police station with pictures of the victims saying that he killed them. The Las Vegas police department figured they should call us."

X

Derek had decided to treat the dream like it was real life.

For some reason it seemed a lot easier.

When they got to the police station they met the suspect.

Even though Derek had decided he was dreaming, he was still surprised.

The suspect was Spencer Reid.


	2. Endless night

**I own nothing. **

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites, or added it to their story alerts. **

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

x

He really wanted to wake up now.

Spencer was sitting in the interrogation room, he seemed extremely calm for someone who claimed to have killed seventy three people.

Hotch had decided to do the interview, which was good because Derek knew he wouldn't be able to do it. Even if he was dreaming.

x

JJ went to update the reporters waiting outside, and Rossi elected to stay with the head detective to figure out who they were dealing with.

That left Derek to watch the interview, and Prentiss to watch Derek.

x

"I'm agent Hotchner, I work for the FBI. Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?"

Dream Reid's hair was longer than real Reid's hair.

"If you really feel that it is necessary."

"You say that you have killed seventy three people, is that true?" Hotch was sitting across from Reid, who was completely relaxed in his chair, despite the fact that he was handcuffed.

"Yes."

"Why are you turning yourself in?"

Dream Reid had a very creepy smile.

"I was getting bored. Figured a change of scenery might help."

"I will ask you again, because you don't seem to think this is serious. If you killed all of the people you say you did and got away with it, why walk into a police station and admit to it."

The smile was gone.

"This is very serious. I came here because I felt like it was the right thing to do."

His eyes looked like real Reid's eyes. Earnest and too big for his face.

"I mean, what kind of world will Jack grow up in if the bad guys don't do the right thing once in a while."

The creeper smile was back.

"I just want to keep the children protected."

Hotch looked almost frozen in place, Emily looked ill.

Reid seemed amused

"Now Aaron, you really need to keep a closer eye on what is available over the internet. There are all kinds of sick freaks in the world who can find out anything they want about you and the rest of your 'team'."

For someone very good at controlling his emotions Hotch was doing a poor job of hiding his anger.

"if you even think about going near my son I will tear you apart."

Dream Reid started laughing

"I'm not going to hurt Jack, or Jessica. I'm going to kill you, and everyone else on your team. There is no need to threaten me."

x

"Garcia, what do we know about this guy?" Derek hadn't heard Hotch so angry in quite a while.

"His name Spencer Reid. Born in Las Vegas, his dad was arrested when he was ten for killing a little boy named Riley Jenkins. His mom went off the grid two years before he was born. He graduated high school when he was twelve, and hasn't left the city. I sent his current address to your cells."

Emily was looking at Derek for some reason, he decided to ignore her "How do you know the guy in interrogation is Spencer Reid?"

"Medical records sweet cheeks, they extend past high school and have some pretty recent photos."

Hotch still looked angry "Thanks Garcia."

"You are welcome my fine furry friends, call me if you need me."

JJ came over, she looked worried.

"I just got off the phone with Strauss. She wants an update, what do you want me to tell her?"

"Nothing. Dave and I are going to his apartment to see what we can find. JJ I want you to make sure that this stays quiet. Prentiss, Morgan, the two of you are going to find out everything there is to know about Spencer Reid."

X

Emily was still looking at him.

They were going through high school transcripts in a small room that smelled like feet, and dream Emily wouldn't stop looking at him.

The silence somehow seemed very loud.

"Will you stop looking at me, its really distracting."

Now she was glaring at him.

"Sorry, I'm trying to figure out how you knew who the bad guy was before anyone else even knew there was one."

"What?"

For some reason Emily was whispering.

"This morning you kept talking about Spencer Reid. You said he was on the team, and you thought I was lying when I told you I didn't know him. Now the unsub is named Spencer Reid and there is no way that interrogation was the first time you have ever seen him. I want to know what is going on, and I want to know now."

Derek missed the silence.


	3. Payback is sick

**I own nothing. **

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites, or added it to their story alerts.**

** Constructive criticism is welcome.**

x

"Derek, you can trust me."

Derek wasn't sure what to say.

He was dreaming, he shouldn't have to explain himself in a dream, but Emily was looking worried.

"Emily, it's really nothing. I had a dream, Spencer Reid was in it. I was a little tired this morning and I must have gotten confused."

He didn't think she was buying it.

"Hey Derek, Hotch called. He wants me to tell you that him and Rossi are going to be awhile. Spencer Reid's apartment is on fire. They want to stay to see if any evidence can be salvaged."

Derek had never been so happy to see JJ.

"Also, you are needed in interrogation. This guy has something planned, we need to figure out what it is."

Derek would rather stay with Emily.

"Why can't I do the interrogation?"

Derek looked at JJ, she seemed almost apologetic.

"Apparently Derek is more intimidating, and Hotch wants to keep this guy on edge."

X

It was really weird to see Reid smirk.

"Hello Agent Morgan."

It was even weirder to be called Agent Morgan.

Derek sat down at the table and the smirk got bigger.

"What no questions?"

He felt like he was going to throw up.

"You told agent Hotchner that you are going to kill him and everyone on his team."

"I did."

"Why did you say that."

Spencer was looking at him like he was an idiot.

"Because I'm going to kill him. And you. And everyone else on your team."

This was bad, even for a dream.

"Why?"

Spencer was smiling but his voice was serious.

"Because I can."

Dream Reid was scary.

"Why are you turning yourself in?"

"I already told Aaron, I am turning myself in because I feel like it's the right thing to do."

"I think that's a lie."

Reid was studying Morgan.

Derek had seen it do it to several killers,

"You're right. I'm doing it because I want all of you to die."

Right before he manipulated them into incriminating themselves.

"I kill people. Do you have any idea how boring it is to get away with everything you do.

At first it is fine, expected. Then you start to screw up on purpose because you want somebody to at least notice all of the hard work you are doing.

All the while the BAU is telling everyone how they catch the bad guys, the killers, I just wanted to get caught. But you didn't catch me. You didn't even know about me.

You didn't do your job, for that you have to die. I knew that the BAU would get called in if I turned myself in. So I did."

Reid didn't talk about wanting to kill people, Reid didn't want to kill people.

Even in a dream.

"Reid, I know you. You don't want to hurt anyone. I have known you for years, you don't like hurting people. You aren't a killer. You are a good person. I know you. This is all a dream, a crazy fucked up dream that I need to be over. You're not a killer."

He was almost ashamed of how desperate he sounded.

Dream Reid looked curious.

"Agent Morgan, can I speak to you outside. Right now."

Dream Emily looked really angry.

X

"What the hell was that?"

Now she was yelling, JJ looked worried.

"I can't talk to Reid like he's the bad guy. He's not a bad person."

"He is the bad guy Derek, he's a killer. He kills people. He is a bad person. What is wrong with you today?"

What was wrong with him? He was the only normal one.

It was actually kind of funny, it made Derek laugh.

"There is nothing wrong with me."

It was just a dream anyway. It didn't matter what Derek said, he was going to wake up soon anyway.

Wasn't he?

"Derek, I think you should sit down. I'm calling Hotch."

JJ was looking really scared.

X

Hotch was almost as angry as Emily.

Almost.

"What were you thinking? Do you want to be pulled off the case?"

There was no case, it was a dream.

"I want to wake up. that's what I want."

"You are awake."

"Well obviously you're going to say that, you are in my dream."

Hotch looked very serious.

"Derek, I don't know what has gotten into you recently, but it is obviously affecting your ability to do your job. You are off the case."

X

Derek had to sit at a table and do nothing while everyone else worked.

Apparently Hotch didn't trust him to be by himself, because he appointed Rossi as Derek's babysitter.

Rossi wasn't talking to him.

Emily was going over the evidence that had been recovered from Spencer's apartment.

JJ was pretending to read a file.

Hotch was talking to Garcia.

They were all pretending not to look at him every five seconds.

It was kind of annoying.

X

Morgan was playing solitaire when the lights turned off.

It was amazing how loud the place got when it was dark.

The lights were off for less than a minute when they turned back on.

Hotch went with Rossi and a few others to figure out why the lights went out.

Emily went to check on Reid.

JJ stayed with Derek.

"Are you okay?"

Why did everyone in his dream think there was something wrong with him.

"I'm fine."

He was not very good at solitaire.

"If you ever want to talk you know that I am here for you."

"Yeah, I know."

Emily was back, she looked rather upset.

"Where's Hotch?"

"Emily, what's wrong?"

JJ was really good at being concerned.

"Reid is gone, he killed the officer that was watching him and left, he is armed and I am pretty sure he is still in the building."


	4. There must be another way

**I own nothing.**

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites, or added it to their story alerts. **

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

X

Derek wasn't quite sure what to think JJ looked scared, and Emily just looked anxious.

He wasn't very scared, it was just a dream.

He would probably wake up soon.

"Do you think he is going to try something in a station full of officers?"

JJ didn't sound scared so much as nervous.

"I don't know, but he is after Hotch. Do you have any idea where he might be?"

Emily's voice held a grim undertone that Derek hadn't heard in a while.

It was probably because of that that Derek volunteered the information to her.

"Him, Rossi, and a few other guys went to check the breaker box."

Apparently his subconscious was sadistic, no sooner had she left the room than the lights turned off again and gunshots were heard.

X

The lights kept flickering, turning off and on with no apparent pattern.

It gave the entire station a sort of horror movie vibe.

JJ had pulled out her gun, so had Derek.

As they headed towards the noise Derek hoped that everyone was okay.

Sure it was a dream, but that didn't mean that he wanted anyone to get hurt.

Voices could be heard from the back of the station but they were too panicked for Derek to assume that the situation was under control.

Emily was just down the hall from the room they had been in, her and several other officers.

All had their guns drawn.

X

When Hotch and Rossi were found they were covered in blood, and surrounded by dead bodies.

It was obvious that Reid wasn't killing at random.

Out of seven officers Hotch and Rossi were the only ones unscathed, all of the rest were dead.

X

JJ made Hotch and Rossi sit down while one of the local Leos called for backup.

Neither of them were very fond of that idea.

"JJ really, I'm fine. We need to catch this guy before he kills more people. I can't do that if I'm sitting down."

Hotch less fond than Rossi.

"The phones aren't working. Neither are the radios."

Derek felt sort of bad for the officer, he was obviously nervous.

Probably because of the look that Hotch was giving him.

Emily was with the rest of the officers, checking the building for Reid.

Out of habit Derek checked his phone.

Apparently his dreams got their inspiration from bad movies.

"I don't have a signal either."

The lights went out again, and more gunfire was heard.

Derek stood up and pulled out his gun.

JJ, Hotch, and Rossi did the same.

The shots stopped an instant before the lights turned back on.

X

Emily didn't come back.

JJ sent the local for help, and they went to look for everyone else.

The handful of officers that had been left were found scattered through the station.

Derek wasn't sure what was worse, the killings themselves, or the fact that it was probably all in his head.

Most of the bodies had been shot in the head, the few that hadn't had been shot in places that bled out almost as quickly.

They didn't find Emily.

X

JJ wanted to leave the station and wait for backup, Hotch wanted to find Reid and kill him, Rossi didn't say what he wanted.

Rossi was pale and Derek was pretty sure that he was trying not to get sick.

Derek didn't know what he wanted.

The dream he was in was longer and more real than any Derek had had before, it was getting harder to tell the difference between what was real and what was fake.

He wasn't as certain as he had been that he would wake up.

"We can't leave Prentiss in here with a killer and no backup."

JJ and Hotch stopped arguing and looked at Dave, he was still pale but his voice was strong.

There was no way he was going to leave the station.

X

Emily was in the room that JJ and Derek had originally been in.

She had been shot at least four times in the abdomen and chest.

When they found her JJ started crying.

Dave put away his gun and felt for a pulse.

Hotch closed his eyes and turned away.

Derek had to keep telling himself that he was dreaming.

That he would wake up very soon.

That Emily was fine, that she wasn't dead.

Derek wasn't sure he believed himself.

The lights turned off again, they were only off for a few seconds when they turned back on.

Derek felt something cold and hard against the side of his head.

Spencer laughed.

A short, light, laugh that Derek didn't recognize.

It was rather terrifying.

"I told you I was going to kill your team Aaron."

x


	5. There's no escape

**I own nothing. **

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites, or added it to their story alerts. **

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

X

Derek hadn't felt this scared in a very long time.

"Unless you want to see Derek's brain exit his skull at a surprising speed in too many pieces to ever count, you will put your guns down. It isn't exactly in your best interests, but it might persuade me to allow you to live a little while longer."

There was a pause as Hotch seemed to consider what Reid said, JJ and Rossi had already lowered their guns.

It seemed to last a lot longer than it really did.

Then Hotch lowered his gun.

"Very good. Now drop the guns and kick them towards me."

The weird smirk was back, but there was something darker about it.

JJ, Hotch and Rossi all kicked their guns towards Reid, JJ stepped forward with her arms up in the universal surrender gesture.

Derek felt his insides turn to ice as the gun pressed more firmly against his temple.

"Just put the gun down, we can talk about this. Is there anything you want? Is there anything we can help you with?"

Derek felt admiration for JJ surge through him, tears were still drying on her face and she was trying to save his life.

"You want to help me?"

Spencer's voice was light, like they were all sharing some joke, and Derek felt another jolt of fear, but not for himself.

"Yes Spencer, I want to help you. I need you to put the gun down, than we can talk. You don't need to hurt anyone."

JJ had absolutely no idea what she was getting into.

"You don't want to help me. In fact, right now you probably want me to drop dead. I know that I don't have to hurt anyone, that isn't going to stop me from killing anyone on your team. I understand that you are a little upset right now, so I am not going to dwell on the fact that you just lied to me. however, if I was you, I would stop talking."

His tone wasn't light anymore, it was precise, with something heavy at the edges. Something that told all who were listening that every word was as close to the truth as it could possibly be.

That he was trying to educate them, that what he was telling them could be the difference between life and death.

The same tone that Spencer used when he was delivering a profile that he was sure of to a room full of officers.

JJ stepped back, but opened her mouth to say something else.

The world seemed to simultaneously slow down and speed up at the same time.

Derek felt the barrel of the gun move off his head for one instant.

He saw Rossi and Hotch both realize what was going to happen and saw them try to stop it.

Too late.

He felt the air leave his lungs as if he had been kicked in the solar plexus when the bullet found its mark and JJ fell to the floor.

Derek could see the initial spray of blood darken, as more and more continued to spill from JJ's throat.

Than the gun was pressed against the back of his head and Hotch and Rossi were trying to staunch the flow of blood as JJ made strange half-gasping, half-gurgling noises from the floor.

"I did suggest that she stay quiet, and you did know that I was going to kill her Aaron. Jennifer will be dead in a few seconds no matter what you do. I recommend that you and David step away from her, otherwise I will have to reassert my complete control over the situation we are in by doing something that you will not like very much."

Derek wasn't quite sure when he stopped thinking he was dreaming, it was probably around the time that JJ got shot.

He was starting to think that Emily might actually be dead, that the Spencer he thought he knew was nothing more than the first sign of his impending mental breakdown.

That the JJ he had worked with for years was bleeding out on the floor in front of him, and he was powerless to help her,

The look on her face, the pain, was not something his brain could, or would ever put there.

Not even in a dream.

He wasn't sure what was going on, but there was no way it was just in his head.

JJ had stopped attempting to breathe and Rossi and Hotch were standing a few feet from her.

"A wise decision gentlemen. Now, we only have a few minutes before the cavalry arrives, so lets not waste anymore time. Aaron, David, I want you to decide who is going to die first. Derek is going to motivate you to make your decision quickly. If you choose fast enough I just might let him live. If you don't, I will carve out his eyes before I shoot him in the base of his skull."

Spencer sounded as if carving out Derek's eyes would be a fairly entertaining endeavor.

Derek continued to hope that he would wake up, although he no longer believed it would happen.

X


	6. Make us suffer

**I own nothing.**

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites, or added it to their story alerts.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

X

The room was silent for almost a minute as Rossi and Hotch stared at JJ's body.

"Gentlemen? I have never been good at waiting. Answer me or Derek dies."

Hotch looked up, but Rossi continued to stare, fixated, at JJ.

"Very well."

Anyone else would have sounded annoyed, but Reid managed to sound completely unperturbed.

Reid moved rather quickly.

In an instant Derek was on the floor, facing the rather large gun that was pressed to his forehead.

Derek could see a smear of someone's blood on the silver watch Reid was wearing.

That small red stain became the focus of his attention as Reid shifted, pressing the gun more firmly against his skin.

Derek felt Reid get more relaxed as his finger tightened on the trigger.

"Wait, shoot me."

Derek had never heard Hotch sound so desperate.

Ever.

Reid paused, looking away from Derek.

"You already said that you are going to kill me. Just let them go."

Reid turned fully away from Derek, considering the man in front of him, and a lot of things happened all at once.

Rossi moved forward faster than Derek would have thought was possible and made a grab for the gun, Hotch tackled Spencer, knocking him to the floor and trying to pin his arms behind his back.

Rossi reached down to help up Derek, who hadn't moved at all.

"You okay?"

A sudden image of exactly what he would look like with the back of his head blown off popped in Derek's mind, and he fought back the urge to throw up.

"Fine."

Hotch was sitting on Reid's torso, facing away from Rossi and Derek.

They didn't seem to be fighting anymore, but Reid was still struggling.

"Hotch, you okay over there? Need some help?"

Derek really hoped he didn't, he didn't think he would be able to walk over to where they were without throwing up.

Something happened, and reid stopped moving.

Hotch stood up slowly, leaving Reid subdued on the floor.

He wasn't moving, and Derek couldn't tell if he was dead or not in the dim light.

Rossi took a few steps toward hotch, expression wary.

"Aaron?"

Hotch turned to face them, his face was pale, and he seemed to be in a state of slight shock.

"Are you okay?"

Hotch managed one more step before he collapsed.

"I don't think that he is."

Reid was holding a gun that Derek distinctly recognized as JJ's.

He was standing, a small pocket knife discarded by his foot.

Rossi made a movement, as if to go to Hotch's side, and Reid shot him.

No warning, no hesitation.

Just blew off half of his face in less than an instant.

Derek wasn't sure if it was shock, or the fact that this reid looked so much like his Reid as he walked towards Derek that froze him in place.

Reid had the same look on his face that the other Reid had worn when Derek offered him a ride home.

It made Derek suddenly desperate for whatever dream he had been in before.

"You intrigue me."

Reid was grinning, the gun firmly held in his hand, pointing at Derek's torso.

"I can't tell if you are actually crazy or just pretending."

Derek really had no clue what was going on, and he wasn't sure what to say.

"What are you talking about?"

Spencer started laughing, as if Derek had just told a funny joke

"I'm talking about that trick you pulled in interrogation. It was pretty good actually, You almost had me believing you."

Derek could hear people moving, entering the building.

Backup.

"I mean, it was crazy, but you really sounded like you believed it."

Reid wasn't smiling, or laughing.

His voice was serious.

"There were only really two things wrong with what you were saying."

The footsteps outside the room were getting closer.

"Number one, I'm not a good person. At all."

The bullet entering his side hurt a lot more than he would have expected it to.

Derek could hear voices calling to each other.

"Number two, this isn't a dream."

The footsteps and voices were right outside the door.

Reid moved the gun until it was pointing at his head once more.

The door opened and Reid pulled the trigger.

There was a very loud bang and an explosion of white hot pain on the left side of Derek's head, blood was running into his eye.

Someone was talking to him, saying something, but it was all muffled.

He could see Reid with an obvious gun shot wound to the shoulder, being placed in handcuffs.

Derek felt the world disappear for a moment, then he was laying on something that was going very fast in a very bright space.

People were yelling, reaching over him.

Saying things that were probably meant to reassure him, but really did nothing.

They seemed to be going somewhere, headed towards something important

For some reason it didn't seem all that important to him if he got there or not.

X


	7. Nothing is really what it seems

**I own nothing.**

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, added it to their favorites, or added it to their story alerts. **

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

_A/N: The next chapter will probably be the last._

X

The first thing Derek realizes is that he isn't dead.

The second thing is that his head hurts.

A lot.

Then Penelope is there, not as bright as usual and tired looking.

"Hey gorgeous, you scared me there for a while."

Her smile is strained, forced.

He can feel bandages under his hand when he brings it up to the side of his head.

"Where are we?"

Derek is pretty sure he should know the answer, but he's tired.

"In the hospital. Again, even though I remember you promising that you were going to stop getting hurt."

Penelope's voice is thick, like she is holding back tears.

She probably is.

There is something nagging at the back of Derek's head. Something about Reid, but he pushes it away.

He doesn't really want to know.

Penelope is talking, but her words are blurring together.

Everything is blurry.

Derek closes his eyes, and falls asleep.

X

When he opens his eyes again Penelope is gone, and Reid is standing by his bed with a sling on his arm and a gun at his side.

In seconds Derek has Reid pinned against the wall by his throat, cutting off his oxygen supply.

The sudden movement makes him dizzy but he doesn't really care.

Because of Reid Derek's team is dead.

The alarms on the machines are going off and Derek is pretty sure that Reid's face is turning blue.

People are entering the room, quieting the machines, trying to pull him off of Reid and failing.

He is getting kind of light-headed and the room is spinning.

Someone grabs his arm and pulls hard, then Derek is looking at a very enraged Emily Prentiss.

It doesn't make any sense, maybe he is dead.

She is talking to him, gesturing to where he presumes Reid is.

Another wave of light-headedness hits him and Derek is falling, black spots dancing in front of his face.

Making it almost impossible to see the people crowding around him, trying to help.

Almost.

He can see both JJ and Hotch standing by the doorway, both of them wearing the same worried expression.

Penelope is right behind them.

she looks scared, and Derek cant quite figure out why.

Reid is the bad guy.

The spots are getting bigger, obscuring his field of vision.

X

Waking up for the third time in twelve hours is not a fun experience for Derek.

Hotch and Emily are waiting by his bed when he wakes up.

Wanting to know why the hell he had though it was necessary to strangle his teammate nearly unconscious.

Hotch's face is impassive as usual, but Emily's is stuck in some strange mix between concerned and angry.

"You guys are supposed to be dead."

Whatever they have him on is working, because his head doesn't hurt at all anymore.

"Reid killed you."

Noticing their confused expressions Derek decides to elaborate.

"He shot you. And me. And a lot of other people."

Emily doesn't really look all that angry anymore, and Hotch's expression is veering off into uneasy.

"Derek, you and Reid were in a car crash. You've been in the hospital for the last three days."

Emily's voice is a lot softer than he expects it to be.

But what she is saying makes no sense to him.

"I would remember being in a car crash."

He doesn't remember any car crash with Reid.

Hotch's voice is calm, reassuring.

"Your doctor said that you might not remember it at first, because of your head injury."

Except maybe there was one, with a lot of noise.

He can sort of remember Reid, and a car.

And a lot of noise.

Probably from some kind of crash.

"So Reid didn't kill anyone. It was all a dream?"

Hotch and Emily reply in the affirmative.

As it turns out, Derek was right at first, and his mind is the most messed up thing in the universe.

Because it sure didn't feel like a dream, and the images that are still in his brain are crystal clear and not at all unrealistic.

"And I just tried to kill Reid, who isn't a creepy serial killer."

Neither of them respond, possibly because they are worried about how he will react.

He doesn't really need the confirmation, if he was still dreaming they would be dead.

Derek isn't sure whether to be ecstatic that it was all just a messed up dream and nobody is really dead, or guilty that he tried to kill one of his best friends because of a dream.

It was easier when he was sleeping.


	8. This is not a game

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X

It isn't until everyone else is gone that Reid comes back.

Emily and Hotch filled him in on the details of the accident.

Details Morgan still cant remember very well.

Apparently it was Reid that got them out of Morgan's car, and it was Reid who called 911 and rode with him in the ambulance.

Reid, one of his best friends.

Reid, who is standing near the door like he expects Morgan to go after him again.

Somehow knowing makes him feel even worse.

He was conscious when they brought him in, but he doesn't remember anything other than the dream that felt way too real.

"Are you feeling better?"

the concern makes it worse, because Reid should be angry at him.

"Yeah."

The silence is awkward.

"I'm sorry."

The words feel stupid, but he can't stop them from coming out of his mouth.

Reid seems to accept that he is telling the truth because he moves closer.

"Emily said that you thought that I shot you."

The sling looks strange on Reid.

The bruises on his neck look even stranger, bruises that really shouldn't be there.

"Yeah."

His brain is kind of fuzzy, and the room is almost silent.

even though he knows that this is Reid and the other guy was a dream, they look so much alike that Morgan cant do anything other than look at him.

Reid is staring back, he looks injured and exhausted, and like he just might start crying.

"You didn't know who I was."

Reid is sitting in the chair next to his bed, full of concern, and looking almost as uncomfortable and guilty as Morgan feels.

He cant really remember what they are talking about, he is kind of focused on the hair.

It is real Reid's hair.

"Right after, before the ambulance got there. You didn't know who I was."

He isn't sure what to say, but Reid doesn't seem to expect him to answer.

It's really quiet again, but less awkward.

The guilt is still there, and it magnifies when he realizes that Reid has started crying.

Anything he could have said is gone, because Derek Morgan just made Spencer Reid cry.

It is probably the worst feeling in the world, and he has no idea how to make it stop.

He knows this is the part where he should start apologizing again, but he isn't very good at it, and Reid is still crying silently next to him.

So he says the first thing that comes into his head, and hopes it makes everything better, because the guilt is like a physical band across his chest.

"If it makes you feel any better, you were a really good killer in my head."

It is probably the stupidest thing he has ever said, and he can only blame the drugs that are still in his system.

There is no way that anyone could find that comforting.

Reid looks at him again.

the tears are still there, but he is laughing.

The cold fear that has been in his stomach since dream Reid started talking to him melts away,

X

The let him out of the hospital two days later.

He is told that he has to have someone with him for a few days to make sure that his head doesn't start acting up again.

Garcia drives him home, and Emily helps him inside.

They go down to help Reid when his car pulls up.

Morgan is pretty sure that Reid shouldn't be driving, but he is.

He notices the envelope when he walks over to the window to see what is taking them so long.

It has his name written on the front, and the handwriting seems oddly familiar.

Inside is a list of names, at least two pages long.

It is typed and something about it creeps him out.

Morgan's phone starts ringing as Garcia opens his door, holding bags of Chinese.

He doesn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

Emily and Reid are right behind her, their voices lower as they see he is on the phone.

"It turns out that you were telling the truth. You aren't crazy,"

He can see Reid in the other room, so there is no way that this is just some kind of sick joke.

"I can see how you might confuse doctor Reid and myself, it is almost like looking into a mirror."

The tone is pleasant, and it sends the fear into him faster than he thought was possible.

Morgan can feel the world getting darker at the edges because there is no way that this is happening.

He can feel his breath coming faster, and Garcia is giving him a look.

"You don't have anything to say to me? I'm hurt."

He can hear the laughter over the phone, and he almost drops it.

"Well then, why don't we get down to business. Every name on the list in front of you signifies a person, and everyone of those people are going to die unless you get to them first. You have about two hours until someone on that list is beyond help."

Garcia is walking towards him she looks worried, and she is probably saying something but he is concentrating on the phone in his hands.

The proof that he has really gone insane.

"Cheer up Agent Morgan, This is going to be fun. I promise not to kill you or them this time."

Reid and Emily are there too, and someone takes the phone out of his hands.

The spots from the hospital are back, and someone is making him sit in a chair.

Its probably a good thing because when he actually does look out the window he can see Reid by his car, waving and holding a cell phone to his ear.

It must be his head injury because Reid is also standing beside him, asking him if he needs to go back to the hospital.


End file.
